Set a Plan for 2014! Make More Than Just Goals. And 2013 Reflections.

It's that time again to reflect on the year as it draws near an end. Most people evaluate what they accomplished (or failed to accomplish) around New Year's. In fact, I'm going to tell you what I accomplished this year for starters. But instead of making New Year's goals or resolutions for 2014, make a plan and aspire to greater things and make them happen!

My accomplishments in the year of '13:

I moved my Zumba class from the tiny, carpeted club house in Woodcroft to Dance Theater South in Sutton Station. What a difference a larger, brighter atmosphere made. My class grew immediately. I am so blessed for the ladies (and Don when he drops in) who trust me to help them reach their fitness goals.

Speaking of fitness goals, I continued to maintain a good portion of my weight loss this year. I'm focusing not on the numbers for the new year, but instead on maintaining strength and endurance that 2013 brought.

I stepped out of my comfy zone and joined Go Realty in January. Nine years at another company got me warm and cozy in my zone. But I made the switch! And this is what birthed my next accomplishment.

Shakeitupdurham became my new blog where I post real estate related stories, life lessons and my homes for sale. You won't believe how hard it was to come up with a name for my blog!

I began to focus more on my clients and their needs and less on my company's (or my own) sales numbers. In doing so, I met some truly spectacular people. In fact, I helped one family find their new home in Knightdale. They were first-time home buyers who endured a hardship of cancer within the past few years. What a fulfilling job I have. I have really seen that through my clients this year.

My sweet, funny, cute, caring, negotiating son Owen began kindergarten this year. I have to say just getting pregnant with Owen was an accomplishment in 2007! But seeing him come into more independence and really enjoy learning and reading has made this mom proud. Beginning kindergarten was his accomplishment, but God entrusting me to be his mother is quite my accomplishment!

Becoming better at telling friends and strangers exactly what I do (real estate, amongst other things) has seen a huge improvement for me this year. Prior to my Go90x challenge, which I completed in March, I kind of just assumed people knew what I did, and of course they would want to refer their friends and families to me. Ha! I really need to remind everyone what it is I do and what makes me a great realtor. :)

I don't think I fell short in many areas this year, but as always, there is much room for growth. So I just finished making my plan for 2014. My plan is simple. Strive to meet and invest in more people. In doing so, I hope to be able to meet a need somehow in their lives. I know the people I meet in 2014 will leave an impression on my life in some way, but I want to do the same for them. And in doing so, I will also find success in many ways in my own personal life. But first, I need to give to others.

Make your plan now! Begin by envisioning what you ultimately want and break your goals down into an action plan. Here is to an awesome 2014! I know you can do it!

Does Your Insurance Cover Sewage Backup?

It's easy to believe your homeowner's insurance will cover anything that happens to your home. After all, this does help you sleep at night.

But often times random things happen to your home that could set you back thousands of dollars due to damage in floors, walls or electrical systems. Knowing you have the right coverage will save you in the long run, big time.

One of the most common causes of expensive repairs in a home is sewer backup. You may assume your city sewer system would be the responsibility of the city in the event it failed. Or your first thought may be that homeowner's insurance would cover your issue. Imagine the scene, you wake up one morning to find a mess in your home. Or you go away on vacation and your toilet fails leaving your home flooded.

Upon a phone call to your insurance agent, you come to the painful realization that this stinking issue in your home is just that.... stinky. If you don't have a sewage back up and water intrusion rider added to your insurance policy when you purchased it, you may be out of luck.

I was fortunate enough to have my agent mention this little fact and advise me to add the rider to my policy (only costing me $25 a year). This simple insurance rider saved me over $30,000 when I had quite an incident happen in my home while away on vacation.

So now you know, call your insurance agent today and make sure you have the rider.

Got Coats??

I read this on my friend's Facebook page this morning and it reminded me of a need I recently learned of....

"It's Giving Tuesday...please share the causes, charities, and ministries that are dear to you, so that those of us who are able to give can consider those you love as well."

I met a teacher last week who said she knew of at least 15 4th and 5th graders at another school (Glen Elementary) that needed coats. I imagine there are other kids at that school, my son's school and others that need coats this winter too.

So in honor of Giving Tuesday and staying warm this winter, I am asking you to consider a coat donation (new or used). 

Please let me know if you can help and I will pick them up from you to deliver to the school (s).

Thanks for helping!

Did you forget to check??? The Final Walk Through!

Closing Is Final... Inspect Your Largest Investment!

I'm sure this topic sounds dry to you, but the final walk through of your new home before closing is perhaps as important as your home inspection.

What's a final walk through? 

Well it's your last chance (you are entitled to it per the sales contract) to check out your home and make sure nothing has changed since you last saw it, before you head to sign the papers for it to become your home. 

Why is it important?

People mistakenly take the final day of closing lightly. They think, "oh, nothing bad can happen." or "if something goes wrong, my agent will take care of it." It would be nice to believe that I have superpowers to make it all better. But the reality is, when the deed is recorded at the courthouse (after you sign your papers in front of a closing attorney and pay for the home), you are accepting the home's condition at that time going forward. Meaning no warranty (unless provided in writing to succeed closing) or right to have a pre-existing repair item taken care of. 

If that reason alone isn't enough... think of the worse case scenarios... a tornado just came through and knocked down your home. Or maybe a refrigerator line exploded and your home is under water. Or remember that fire last night you saw on the news? Well it could have been your home.

I don't mean to sound patronizing, and I certainly don't expect these worse case scenarios to happen to my clients' homes, but I have had a few last minute possible fiascos resolved because of a final walk through.

Yes, last minute issues are fun to deal with. Not really! 

I once went to a final walk through on a town home in Woodcroft and the seller had taken the stove with her to Europe. I had an unhappy buyer on that day, but luckily she was able to get a new one.

In another situation, I helped my clients walk through their new construction home on the day of closing before heading to the attorney's office. We discovered a stream (not an intentional one, but one nevertheless) going through the middle of their back yard. Luckily we were able to have the builder install better drainage and a grate in the ground to catch water run off.

Don't skip the last step before home ownership. You will be happy you made the stop by home on the way to closing.

Sharing My Love Letter To Buyers

In my previous post I mention the importance of sellers writing a "love letter" to potential buyers sharing the cherished details of their homes that  buyers may not be able to learn from traditional marketing. 

If my home were on the market (which one day will be the case). my love letter to potential buyers who visit my home might read like this....

Welcome to 3231 Silver Star Drive. It might surprise you to learn that we the original owners of such a lovely home might want to part with it. I can assure you it was not a decision we made easily. You see, this is our dream home. Yes, most people envision their dream homes to be much larger with all the bells and whistles somewhere out in the country. 

But for us, as second-time home owners living on a budget friendly income, this home became our dream.

It began when I first sold this exact same floor plan to my clients in another community. I walked into the model home and quickly fell in love with the open, airy feel, 5-inch hardwood floors, luxurious master suite with tiled floor, shower and tub surround and garden tub. And oh how I loved the kitchen. I couldn't begin to imagine so much counter and cabinet space and I began to envision entertaining family and friends all in one space.

I then sold this same floor plan to a second set of clients and at this point, not being a homeowner of this home myself, became a little irritating. After learning we couldn't own this home in that community due to an overwhelming wait list for the diminishing availability of homes, we decided to build the home in Lochside, not far from the area.

So in December of 2005, we purchased our dream home after selling our first home. We had been married for four years and wanted to begin a family. We knew this home had plenty of room for us to grow.. 

Lucky for us, we were blessed with two boys! Not only have most of their "firsts" happened here, but there are many things about our home that we have enjoyed. My home office started out down stairs in the front guest bedroom with windows overlooking the front yard. Wouldn't most people give anything to have a nice office with a window that also housed a treadmill for late night exercise?

After my youngest came along, my home office and treadmill moved into our upstairs bonus room. This room also houses guests and is complete with a full bathroom.

We wouldn't settle for a home that didn't back to the woods. The views from my master bedroom, living room, kitchen and dining room are refreshing after a long week of work. A few years ago my father-in-law built a playground escape in the woods for the boys. What a lot of fun times we have had with neighbors and other kids playing in the woods and hosting most every birthday party at home!

We weren't sure how we would feel about living on a corner lot, but it has been quite a perk! The road beside our home dead ends at the woods and the city installed a side walk. Not only do we avoid drivers through on the side street, but the boys can ride their gliders and bikes up and down the side walk.

But it's not just the house that has made this place home, it's the neighborhood, area and convenience to everything that has made it home.  You see we are lucky enough to have a community pool and club house within walking distance. It's not uncommon to see friendly neighbors walking around. In fact, I can walk down the street to a neighbor's home to enjoy drinks and friendship. 

But icing on the cake is being so close to the American Tobacco Trail. Accessible from Silver Star Drive  to Belgreen, the trail goes down town and over to Woodcroft and Herndon Park. Even more exciting is that Durham plans to complete a pedestrian Bridge soon for part of the trail. 

We are also close to Solite Park and Pineywood Park. I can count four grocery stores and at least four gas stations that are within minutes from my home. If I need something while cooking, I am covered. In fact, I once took a bike ride up to the Kroger on Martin Luther King Boulevard, partly via the Trail. My son's school is also right behind our neighborhood which is perfect for dropping in to have lunch with him.

My husband works at UNC and it only takes us around 20 minutes to get there. But I've been told it only takes about 11 or 12 minutes to get to Duke Hospital. This tidbit came from quite a few medical residents living in Lochside.

I could go on and on about why this place has truly been our dream home, but that would be a book. I can't begin to guess your own story or what pieces about this home make the puzzle complete for you, but I hope you find the right home for you. If this is the one, then Welcome Home! 

Ok, now that I have finished my letter, it's is probably longer than most people have the time to read. But I hope you get the idea. You can write a story of the history of your home, or a simple list of amenities, restaurants, and attractions nearby that buyers will want to know. However you angle your letter, good luck. You will stand out from other sellers because most people don't take 15 minutes to write one.

First Impressions Count!

I may have a few past clients read this and think, "you never told me that." Quite possibly your home was already show ready. But for many of you, a little help wouldn't hurt for preparing your home for the Open House. 

Open houses can be useful in getting buyers to see your home without having to arrange a showing at a set time with an agent. Sure, some buyers are preofessional open house stalkers (no offense intended to those of you who fall into this category), while others are neighbors seeing how your home may compare to theirs when they go to sell. No matter the reason someone comes into your home, you want to count it as the most significant viewing of your home to date. After all, it only takes one buyer in the door to make the sale.

Here are a few tips in making your home inviting to the open house guest:

1. Curb appeal-In the fall, sweep the pine straw off the driveway and porch of your home. In the winter, scrape the snow from the drive. And just as important, in the summer, keep your grass and flower beds well manicured and watered.

2. Put a friendly, but neutral welcome mat on the porch for visitors to be greeted at your front door.

3. Open all blinds in your home and turn on all over head lights. Not everyone is a "natural light person," but most buyers seek this out in your home.

4. Put down the toilet seats and lids. In fact, clean the guest toilet!

5. Put away dirty towels, underwear and other clothing left out by the kids.

6. Clean out the toothpaste remains in the sink and wipe down counters and mirrors. Don't forget to dust!

7. Don't overpower your guests with loud music playing. If you want to turn on soft, gentle music, that is just fine.

8. Light a candle with a soft, neutral scent. Some people are allergic to strong scents, and you don't want to send a buyer away with a migraine.

9. Bake chocolate chip cookies to leave out for your guests. Yes, I once watched cookies win over an interested buyer by making them feel cozy in the home.

10. Have flyers ready with your home's personal Web site to view the virtual tour, floor plan, school information and other important facts the buyer may want to know.

Use these tips and more to make that Sunday afternoon window shopper the buyer for your home. And remember, it only takes one.

P.S. Don't forget to leave out your home's love letter for the buyer to read. Advice on how to write a compelling love letter will appear in my next blog post.

Buying a Home is a Lot Like Having a Baby! Really???

5 ways buying a home is a lot like having a baby!

No one ever said having a baby was easy. But after giving birth to two of my own children, I can tell you there are many things people conveniently forget to mention who have been through the birthing or parenting process before.

You see, while buying a home doesn't have to be stressful (and I strive hard to take the stress out of the process for you), there are a lot of things that people who have gone before you never told you. I assure you it wasn't intentional. It's just that... well... you just never know what lies ahead!

So here are my top 5 little "unknowns" that I wish to share with anyone considering purchasing a home. 

1. No matter how much planning you do, the unexpected can happen. 

I have had the pleasure of working with many different personalities among clients and I can assure you, there are many people out there who have their acts together and have all their details in place. However, the unexpected can happen and often does. It's best to set reasonable expectations and be flexible. Some examples of the "unexpected" are: closings get delayed because of last minute financing documentation requests, final walkthroughs reveal missing appliances from the home, sellers forget to mention that they are in the process of applying for a short sale to their agent, attorney or buyers. You see, things can happen. I don't mean to scare you or sound negative. I am simply showing you the need to be prepared for things that you just can't prepare for. The good news is that once buyers settle into their new homes, they forget the "unexpected" hurdles they had to jump to get there.

2. It will require upfront money.

When you have a baby there are hospital costs, doctors fees, baby supplies, diapers and the list goes on and on. When you purchase a home, although there are some 100% financing programs available to buyers, a lot of financing programs require some downpayment in order to purchase the home. In addition to that, there are closing costs along with earnest money deposits (on average 1% of purchase price) and certain inspection and appraisal fees paid before closing out of pocket. No child is free and neither is the cost of buying a home. The great part is that your agent can help you negotiate the seller to pay some of the required costs for you at closing making the burden lighter.

3. Everyone wants to take control of the selection process but ultimately it is your home!

Ever try to chose a baby name and make the mistake of announcing some of your possibilities and receive some unsolicited advice? Well purchasing a home can bring out all the distant relatives and friends you didn't know you had. Well not quite. But everyone is so excited for you and they want to give you their opinions of why you shouldn't buy this house or why that house can't quite be worth what you are wanting to offer for it. BE BOLD. BE BRAVE. It is YOUR home! Use your gut instinct. Perhaps this home meets all of your carefully selected criteria and you know you will be happy there. This is all that matters. Perhaps the neighborhood you are looking in has homes disappearing off the market left and right before you can make an offer on them. Don't lose out on a home you love because you are afraid of overpaying for it. The bank's appraisal will assure you don't pay too much for the home.

4. It's not about winning. It's all about winning!

Pregnant mothers often get teased by society for pregnancy related hormones that often make them seem, well "crazy." They often take the small things and make them into bigger things than they need to be. Husbands, colleagues and friends may look them funny, ignore or dismiss them. Also, some people will simply take the heat because they know the moms actually care for them. After all, they are just under a lot of hormone-induced stress. Yep, you guessed it, buying a home is a lot like this gestational period. You may want to just win in an attempt to come out on top. It will get stressful. Really, anything in life worth having is stressful. People will piss you off. They will seem like they are trying to take advantage of you. But buying a home is not a game. It's not about who has the most score at the end of the day. Yes, it's about getting the best deal. But that doesn't mean there won't be some compromise along the way. At the end of the day, when you are settled into your new home you will look around and be happy. And that is winning!

5. Picking a lender, attorney and home inspector is a lot like picking a name. Well kinda.

The name selection process can be involved (see mention of it above). When you pick a name for your child, that child is likely stuck with the name for life. But more importantly, you want to select a name for your child that will perhaps mold his/her personality. In a way, you are expecting your child to "live up" to the perfect name you choose. The time will come in the home hunting process where you'll have to select important people to use along the way. The lender you choose will affect your interest rate, closing costs due at closing and your general ability to close on the home on time. Choose wisely. Take recommendations from your agents or friends. Then seek a home inspector who an agent or friend recommends is thorough. The longer the average inspection time takes the better. Ask how long the report will take to come in as you will want the report within a few days of inspection completion. A great inspector will cycle all appliances, look at the roof and climb in your crawlspace and attic. On a final note, choosing a closing attorney that will be your best advocate,should any bumps in the road happen, will be well worth the money spent. Again, ask your agent who they like to work with. Choosing an attorney who doesn't liked to be reached on the phone or who doesn't like to be "bothered" in general will not bode well for you in the long term.